Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On Saturday he was the comedian-in-chief , cracking jokes with reporters and celebrities at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner .

On Sunday he oversaw one of the riskiest special forces operations since Desert One , Jimmy Carter 's ill-fated attempt to rescue the American hostages from Iran more than three decades ago .

Barack Obama is n't just the president . He 's the nation 's ultimate multi-tasker , juggling enough roles and responsibilities to make the average person 's head spin .

Over the last month and a half , Obama held at least five National Security Council meetings to help plan the assault on Osama bin Laden 's compound . The days in which those meetings were held coincided with , among other things , an education reform speech , two political fundraisers , a discussion with the Japanese prime minister about that country 's nuclear crisis , a long-awaited deficit reduction speech , and two meetings on immigration reform .

The day before the last National Security Council meeting -- on April 28 -- the `` birther '' controversy came to a head . Obama made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room to release his long-form birth certificate . -LRB- Yes , he actually was born in Hawaii . -RRB-

And in the midst of all the planning , the president cut a deal with congressional Republicans to narrowly avert a government shutdown . He also dealt with a series of devastating storms in the South .

Has this always been par for the course at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue ?

Not really , according to Boston University presidential historian Robert Dalleck .

The frenetic pace of the presidency is largely a reflection of America 's role as the premier global power in the post-World War II era , Dalleck told CNN . Harry Truman dealt with countless domestic crises during the Korean War ; LBJ tackled the Great Society and civil rights while fighting in Vietnam .

But in recent years , he said , the daily pace has accelerated due to the rise of the internet , wireless , and other facets of the communications revolution .

There 's a `` kind of blinding rapidity '' in which one event quickly overtakes the next , said Dalleck . Our attention -- and that of the president -- is whipped from the latest economic crisis to the newest tornado wreckage to the latest protest or outbreak of violence in the Middle East .

Faced with a pressure for constant response , modern administrations face times `` of great pressure and intense demand over a series of compelling issues , '' he said .

'' -LRB- Abraham -RRB- Lincoln 's burdens were as great as any president will face , '' Dallek noted . But the rapid onslaught of information from around the world contributes to `` a different sort of feel now . ''

Case in point : the execution of Sunday 's mission against bin Laden 's compound . Obama was able to `` monitor the situation in real time , '' according to White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan . That ability `` does speed things up and create a greater sense of pressure , '' Dallek said .

Dallek questioned whether an older person -- including a more hands-off administrator such as Ronald Reagan -- could adequately function in today 's version of the pressure cooker environment . He or she `` might be overwhelmed , '' Dallek said . Among other things , `` you need to have good health . ''

You also need to be constantly on call .

Teddy Roosevelt would `` just disappear as president for months at a time and people did n't know where he was , '' noted acclaimed Rice University historian Douglas Brinkley . If Obama were to disappear for 15 minutes , people `` would freak out . ''

Current times are not `` uniquely oppressive , '' Brinkley noted , drawing a contrast with the divisions of the 1960s and the generations that fought World War II and the Civil War , Brinkley said . But globalization and the interconnectedness of the modern age -- while increasing the flow of information -- have contributed to an overarching sense of `` frustration and fear '' that the administration is now confronting .

Wendy Schiller , a Brown University political scientist , noted that every president since Eisenhower has recognized the need for an executive office equipped to handle `` a wide range of issues quickly and responsibly . ''

Ike `` laid the foundation for the West Wing infrastructure of expertise that we see now working for Obama -LRB- constantly -RRB- , and that infrastructure gives presidents the capacity '' to adapt quickly on a broad range of issues .

`` The key challenge for presidents in the 21st century is knowing when to respond immediately and knowing when to take their time to manage a given situation , '' Schiller said . `` It is not just that Obama has been involved in such a broad range of issues and activities . It is that he has handled them each differently and appropriately , '' she asserted .

The president 's speech late Sunday night `` reinforced an image of a man -- as commander-in-chief -- who knows how to prioritize the nation 's interests , '' she said .

Schiller argued that the `` 24/7 news media and now social media puts far greater pressure on presidents for an immediate response or reaction to national and world events because voters learn about -LRB- developments -RRB- much more quickly than they used to . ''

But while the `` informational time gap between the president and the voters has narrowed considerably ... . the president incurs the same costs for reacting rashly or impatiently as his predecessors did in eras of slower technology , '' she warned .

Does she agree with Dallek 's assertion that an older person might be overwhelmed by the nature of the modern presidency ?

Schiller did n't say , but she did offer a quote from Alexander Hamilton : `` Energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government . '' Twenty-first century presidents , she said , must have that energy `` in all senses of the word . ''

Above all , `` be sane , '' Dallek concluded . `` That 's the watchword . ''

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NEW : Douglas Brinkley says modern times are not `` uniquely oppressive ''

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Obama dealt with a number of high-stakes issues in the run-up to Sunday 's raid

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Robert Dallek questions whether an older president could cope with today 's burdens

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Political scientist Wendy Schiller says the 24/7 media is forcing more rapid responses